


Prince of (Shitty) Drabbles

by kolachess



Category: Prince of Stride: Alternative (Anime)
Genre: Ambiguously Gay, Drabbles, Fluff, Gen, Hozumi the Woobie, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Spoilers, Wangst, hinted at Heath x Hozumi, humorous Hozumi x Kuga, more tags to come with more pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-19 21:15:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5981191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kolachess/pseuds/kolachess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabbles for PoS (but just the one for now).</p><p>Hozumi is feeling a little low despite their happy team victory. (Post ep.6)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prince of (Shitty) Drabbles

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure how much I will write, but this is just a sort of dump for any possible drabbles that do come out. I've got a soft spot for Hozumi so... likely it's mostly Hozumi-centric!
> 
> Warning: There are spoilers.

On the field, it’d been so easy. _Run, connect, run_. Despite the fact that he was emotionally unsettled up until the call for takeoff, all his worries seemed to vanish instantaneously at the thought of being able to connect with Kuga-senpai once more, just like they used to in the golden days. 

But now… now that things have quieted down again, and he’s left alone to his thoughts, which are both vicious and doubtful, Hozumi is once more uncertain. And he hates it. He draws his knees up a little closer to his chest on the toilet lid he’s sitting on, and he tucks his head shamefully into his arms.

His eyes flutter shut and he quietly sighs. He won’t be able to hide out in here for too long—everyone else is happily celebrating their victory after all, and his presence will certainly be missed. Still, he just couldn’t stay in the room while such poisonous thoughts clouded his mind; it wouldn’t be fair to Heath or Kuga or anyone for the atmosphere to be ruined by his own stupid emotions. And considering how terrible he is at masking his feelings, the only escape was a physical one.

He tries to reason through it. He had been mad at Kuga-senpai because he thought the other was responsible for Heath’s injury. Now that he knows his senpai _wasn’t_ responsible… he should forgive him right? But something still worms around inside his chest, and the idea and thought of Kuga-senpai returning to the stride team is more daunting than exciting, and he’s not sure why.

It’s stupid, he reasons. He should be happy about Kuga-senpai returning! Kuga-senpai wasn’t responsible for the incident, Heath is happy that he’s back, Kuga-senpai is happy to be back, _everyone_ is happy that the third year is back… except him. Or at least, a part of him. He groans a little and thumps his head against his knees. And yet… it’s not as if he’s _completely_ clueless to the source of his inner turmoil.

The sound of the restroom door swinging open causes his head to perk up, and he holds his breath when Riku calls out, “Kohinata-senpai? You in here?” He debates for a moment or two on whether or not to answer. And several times, he parts his lips just a little to do so, but the words keep dying on his lips. “Hmm… guess not?” the freshman mumbles a little to himself before letting the door swing close again. As the door clicks shut, Hozumi lets out the rest of his breath and palms his forehead.

“Idiot…” he mutters to himself. And he’s so busy drowning in self-deprecation, he doesn’t hear the restroom door open a second time and nearly jumps when a knock sounds on his stall.

“Kohinata?” comes the low smooth voice of Kuga Kyousuke.

Hozumi bites his lip and swallows a bit before answering, “Kuga-senpai… um… sorry, did you need something? I’ll be out soon… I think I ate too much!” He laughs nervously.

For a few seconds, there is no response, and Hozumi would have believed the other to have left if not for the visible pair of feet peeking out from beneath the stall door. Finally, Kyousuke says, “Kohinata… I’m sorry. And… thank you.”

Something cold washes over the blonde, and he offers with a forced chuckle, “What are you apologizing for? I thought it wasn’t your fault.”

“Not Hasekura’s leg. I’m sorry for leaving when you guys needed me the most,” Kyousuke confesses, “And thank you for protecting Hasekura, the club, in my place.”

Hozumi is quiet for a couple of seconds, and a cavity begins to form in his chest. “Of course,” he mumbles a bit too quietly. “It’s good you’re back,” he offers half-heartedly, wishing he could sound more enthused.

“Kohinata…” Kyousuke starts again. “I may be back on the team, but my original place is no longer mine. Not without me earning it back,” he declares. “It’s yours,” he tells a surprised Hozumi.

“I… what?” the acrobatic stride runner blinks.

“My position…” Kyousuke sighs and leans against the stall door. “I may have been the champion, the vanguard of the stride club before, with Tomoe. But… that’s all you now. You, and Hasekura and Kadowaki... you all kept the club going.”

Hozumi says nothing, and honestly does not know what he respond with at all. Yes? Kuga-senpai is right? He doesn’t deserve to simply walk back into the club and resettle in his old position like nothing has happened at all? But, Hozumi thinks while worrying a lip, it isn’t at all fair to the third-year to so cruelly deny the other the warm embrace of the club he’d called home either. And worse, he knows Heath would be deeply disappointed with him to know he feels this way. Yet to simply tell the other, _no worries, welcome back! We’re all friends like you never left!_ is a bit of a stab into his own gut as well.

And now, more than over, he feels the shame wash over him like a tidal wave. How can he be so petty?

“… And Kohinata?” Kyousuke calls out, shaking the blonde of his thoughts. “That applies to friendships too.”

“Huh?” Hozumi lets out, having fallen a bit out of context.

“I’m glad you two looked out for each other. You’ve made each other strong, and there’s nothing I can do more than what you’ve already done for each other,” Kyousuke answers truthfully, a ghost of a smile tugging on his lips.

When Hozumi finally processes what Kyousuke says and the implications of the words sink in, he feels himself relaxing and the turmoil of his conscience gradually settling. After a few more moments, his resolve suddenly snaps together, and he nearly leaps off the toilet seat to yank open the stall door.

“Kuga-senpai, I—” he starts, but is cut off as Kyousuke, who had been leaning against the door still, comes tumbling towards him and knocks Hozumi back onto the toilet seat and himself onto the floor.

“Ouch...” he mumbles as he gets off the floor, rubbing at his bottom.

“Senpai! Are you alright?” Hozumi shouts as he helps the other up.

“Just fine. Sorry about that,” he says blandly, and moves to exit.

And of course, it’s that moment that an over-energetic Riku decides to blast through the door, declaring to everyone “… that there’s a back door or black hole in here! I _swear_ Kohinata-senpai came in here earlier and I _know_ I saw Kuga-senpai come this way and—” He’s cut off when their small party (sans Nanase) filters through the tiny restroom door only to spot Kyousuke exiting the stall followed by Hozumi.

Both parties freeze, and Kyousuke stares at the conglomeration inquisitively while Hozumi is looking on in a mix of open horror and embarrassment.

“…Kuga-senpai and… Kohinata-senpai?” Riku asks bemused, pointing his finger from one to the other and back.

“Well… this is a surprising turn of events,” Heath comments dryly, quirking a brow at his two friends and folding his arms.

And as it finally dawns on Hozumi what the others are implying, his look of horror and embarrassment multiplies tenfold, turning his cheeks bright pink and causing him to splutter, “N-No! Kuga-senpai was just helping me with something!” 

It took a surprising second before the first snicker rose.

Kyousuke sighs and touches his forehead, Heath hides a smile, Riku is outright cackling, Ayumu is trying very hard to breathe while holding in laughter, and Takeru simply stands there. 

Eventually, Hozumi faints. 

Well, he comes close to fainting, but doesn’t. 

But he kind of wishes he did.

_“That’s not what I meant!”_


End file.
